Action Plan

Introduction

Social issues such as rape and sexual assault, abortion, birth control, domestic violence and women inequality are frequent phenomena today. Cases of occurrence of the following issues are reported daily. These issues are a hotbed of discussions and evoke different views and emotions. They are very debatable since they touch on people’s personalities. However, people judge them differently depending on individual variations such as culture and religion. These issues are usually traumatizing and affect all people regardless of their social position or gender. However, it is a collective responsibility for the whole community to end these vices.

Main Issues

Rape is sometimes referred to as sexual assault. It happens to women and men regardless of their age. Rape involves penetration, no matter how slight it may be, of the vagina or the anus with any body part without the consent of the victim. Oral penetration by a sexual organ without the consent is also termed as rape. Rape, whether done by a stranger, a family member, a date or an acquaintance, is a crime, and it is traumatizing. Rapists use force to overcome the other party. Sometimes, they subject the party to substance abuse in order to reduce their ability to resist. Rape victims require comfort and care to heal (Murphy, 2004). However, victims can avoid rape. The government should put mechanisms in place to enlighten people on self defense. Women should avoid secluded and risky areas. In addition, in case, they feel uncomfortable, they should take actions and not ignore their feelings.

Abortion cases have been on the increase following the scaling levels of moral decay in the society. It involves termination of pregnancy by expulsion before the fetus is viable. Abortion can occur spontaneously or be induced. When it occurs spontaneously, it is called a miscarriage. Legality of abortion evokes a hot debate as some support it; while the others are against it. According to religion, abortion is a crime since it is killing. Above 40% of women commit abortion at least once in their life. However, women practice abortion due to diverse reasons. Some are personal; while the others are social factors. Mostly, women who commit abortion get the pregnancies unprepared.  

To prevent abortion, there should be an improved access to technologies that prevent pregnancies. This should be affected through the provision of condoms in the public institutions where unwanted pregnancies are rampant (Haugen et al, 2010). Birth controls should be availed more cheaply, and information on how to use these technologies should be provided. The problem is that these methods’ effectiveness depends on the responsiveness of the potential and actual victims. Additionally, there are some conflicts between the church and feminists on the use of such technologies.  .

Birth control refers to techniques used to prevent fertilization or interrupt pregnancy at the various stages. These techniques include contraception and abortion. Contraception involves preventing fertilization. It includes the use of methods such as condoms, diaphragm, hormonal contraceptives, and injectable contraceptives (Rosenthal, 2009). Contraception, on the other hand, is a process of preventing implantation. It includes the use of methods such as emergency contraceptive pills.

However, different people react differently to these techniques. Couples should agree on the best method to use. The proper use of birth control begins when women are given a sense of freedom. Freedom to choose when to become a mother and how many children to give birth should be guaranteed. Knowledge on the effective usage of birth control should be availed through the media.

Inequality in women is a phenomenon that has disadvantaged women so much and for a long time. Women are a marginalized group and are considered as a weaker sex. Women do not get equal opportunities with men especially in leadership (Brettell & Sargent, 1993). Few women are involved in the politics, and the few who are courageous enough to be in the politics face a lot of challenges, especially during campaigns. In the work places, women take lower posts than men.

However, this is supposed to end as more and more groups emerge to articulate for gender equality. Through education, women are gaining power and high positions in the work places. Women should get united and fight for their well-being. Equality in working place is mainly in the hands of management. All benefits should be such that they don’t lead to violation of the right on equality. It would help a great deal if, on the other hand, women understand their rights as guaranteed by law. Sensitization, where it is necessary, should be availed. The challenge in this solution is that there are great knowledge and skills differential between men and women in many places of the world. As such, women in the work place may always seem to hold on to the lower ranks.

Domestic violence is characterized by abusive behaviors by one partner to another in an intimate relationship such as family, marriage, dating or cohabitation. Terms such as domestic abuse, spouse abuse, battery, family violence, and intimate partner violence are sometimes used to mean domestic violence. Domestic violence may take various forms. It can either be physical or emotional. Physical abuse includes practices such as slapping, kicking, throwing objects at each other or even threat. Emotional abuse is, however, very common; though, few people publicize it. It includes practices such as domineering, intimidation, neglect or economic deprivation.

Domestic violence may be directed to both men and women. However, violence against women is the most common since women are considered to be the weaker gender. I have a great interest in domestic violence since it has been a hot issue currently with men battering being experienced. In addition, domestic violence cases have been frequent phenomena and have attracted attention of many people. Domestic violence is caused by factors such as psychological perspective. This focuses on an individual`s personality traits and characteristics such as a poor impulse control, sudden bursts of anger, and a low self esteem. Jealousy is also a factor that contributes to domestic violence. It occurs when one spouse is either suspected unfaithful or planning to leave the relationship (Roleff, 2000). 

Financial crisis is a major cause of stress in many homes. Families living in poverty are likely to experience domestic violence due to the increased pressure. In some cases, when men are unable to provide fully for their families, they turn to misogyny, substance abuse, and crime. They do this in an attempt to express their masculinity. Resource theories suggest that women who are wholly dependent economically on men are more exposed to domestic violence than those who are economically independent. The social learning theory is also a factor that causes domestic violence. People learn from experience, and through positive reinforcement, they portray this behavior.

Domestic violence can be solved. This calls for the collective efforts by the government, society, and health care. The government should spearhead the end to domestic violence. It should enforce laws that will hinder people from committing domestic violence and deal with those who violate the law. The government should amend the available laws to fit the current situation. However, this requires a lot of caution. This is because of the cultural and religious differences. In some cultures, domestic violence is not a crime, and people are reluctant to abandon their cultures. Also, people believe that women should be submissive to men, and wife battery is not a crime so long as it is done by the husband.

Counseling for victims is also another way of curbing domestic violence. The offenders are taken through a counseling session to lower their potential to commit the same mistake in the future. They are taught how to manage their anger, to recognize abusive patterns of behavior, and to reframe their communication skills. However, this approach may be ineffective due to some personal differences. The counselors should understand the offender’s background and beliefs. This helps them to structure their counseling. They should guide the offenders to realize their mistakes but not condemn them. They should try to fit themselves in the shoes of the offenders so as to create a good rapport. This will make the offender open up and interact freely with the counselor. However, this may fail due to personal differences. Customary traits and beliefs vary from one community to another. To change customary beliefs is almost impossible, but counselors should tailor their messages to convince the offenders.

The media is also a very powerful channel for curbing domestic violence. Adverts and programs that discourage the vice may be used. This is applicable and effective because the message gets to many people at the same time. However, not all people are able to afford televisions sets and radios. These people may not get the necessary message.

Community organizations can also be established. Such organizations offer a safe shelter to the domestic violence victims. They also educate people at the grass roots on matters pertaining crisis management and prevention. They offer a channel through which people at the grass root can air their views and problems. Most people at the grass roots experience domestic violence, but most of them are not aware of their human rights. Such organizations are an effective way of enlightening people of human rights. However, these organizations may fail due to the shortage of resources, such as funds. The government should find some costs or create some funds for such organizations. Also, people may be reluctant to support the following organizations. However, the government should take responsibility to popularize such organizations. The poor management may make the organizations fail. It may also kill the motivation of members, and this makes such organizations unpopular among the community.